[Yorkiemom1]

A docked tail does NO damage to the dog. The argument can not be made that docking a Yorkie's tail makes it fall over for lack of balance, or docking the tail increases the chance of the dog getting liver disease, or cancer, or respiratory infections, or going blind, or deaf..... We all know it USED to be done because Yorkies were working dogs, and the tail was often used as a method of removing a dog from ground. We all know an argument was made about personal hygiene and dingle berries in all that hair. As time went on, and then Yorkies eventually made it into the show ring, and a breed standard was developed, docked tails which had been part of the Yorkie for decades, continued..... This practice has continued over the years, and the standard continues to call for it.

Now, over the years, there are people that do not like the idea of docking tails, equating it as "unnecessary, therefore cruel". I personally do not equate the two terms "unnecessary" with the term "cruel". If one were to do that, it can be argued tatooing is totally unnecessary, therefor cruel? Piercing ears, noses, lips, tongues, nips, labia, navels, cheeks, eyebrows, etc., is also totally unnecessary, therefore cruel? I personally do not like or agree with ANY of the above mentioned practices, and there are many of us that are not at all impressed with such body mutilations, but thank GOD, at this minute, there is no LAW BANNING any of you that DO like or agree with these body desecrations. Someone mentioned female circumcision....what about male circumcisions? Should that be banned too, just because some people dont like it? Should it be acceptable practice for me and my coharts to demand the rest of you can no longer get tatted, or pierced up, just because we believe it is "unnecessary and therefore cruel...especially for those little babies of certain cultures that have their enfant daughters ears pierced? No real medical reasons to do it, no real medical reasons NOT to do it....I just dont like it and think all that nonsense should be banned, simply because it is in MY opinion, "unnecessary and therefore cruel"! Says who????? Just because some think it is "cruel"? Just because some think it is "unnecessary"? Just because some think it may be ugly?

Show me that docking tails causes some physical health condition to develop or worsen, some disease to surface or get worse, then I will make this an issue to be concerned about. All my dogs have docked tails and they communicate just fine with me and each other, as well as visiting with neighbors dogs through the fence. They have no physical limitations, they tear around the house and the property with abandon, and they are completely unaffected by their tails being docked. They swim, fetch, sit, run, bark, smile, roll around in the grass, all with no hindrance.

I would hope that before the thought comes to "the powers that be" to ban tail docking in this country, they would ban things that actually have adverse effects on dogs and their health...like breeding dogs that have not been certified against genetic disorders, or breeding dogs that do not get prenatal/postnatal care, selling pets without a spay/neuter contract, etc. These are just a few things that can have a direct adverse result in our Yorkies, and not just something people have decided they personally dont like.